The Table
by Tiger-Lilly89
Summary: Just a little one shot post Hogwarts pre Harry with our favorite troublemakers and Lily


This is based on very loosely on a song by one of my favorite bands The Beautiful South. I really enjoying writing this and I really enjoyed writing in a new style. Please let me know what you think. Lilly x

The Table

This table has four sturdy legs  
and a heart of very near wild oak  
when others would have screamed out loud my friend  
this one never even spoke

I've been sat upon, I've been spat upon  
I've been treated like a bed  
Been carried like a stretcher,  
when someone thinks they're dead  
I've been dined upon, I've been wined upon  
I've been taken for a fool  
Taken for a desk,  
when they should have been at school

This table's been pushed against the wall  
when tempers, well tempers flare at night  
Banged upon with knuckles clenched my friend  
when someone thinks that they are right

I've been sat upon, I've been spat upon  
I've been treated like a bed  
Been carried like a stretcher,  
when someone thinks they're dead  
I've been dined upon, I've been wined upon  
I've been taken for a fool  
Taken for a desk,  
when they should have been at school

Tables only turn when tables learn  
put me on a bonfire, watch me burn  
Treat me with some dignity, don't treat me like a slave  
or I'll turn into the coffin in your grave

"Da daa" James stood aside "what do you think?" he said revealing a pale wooden table and six chairs "the guy in the flat downstairs was moving out he sold us the whole thing for twenty quid"

"Wow James it's lovely well done for getting it up here boys, see it's much nicer to have a kitchen table than to eat on our laps" she hugged her boys

* * *

"James you're been a prat" Sirius put down his knife and fork "there's a spy in the order, we have to be cautious, we can't trust a soul outside this room" he slapped his hand on the table to hammer home his point.

"The people in the order are our friends. I trust my friends" James threw down his own cutlery with a clatter

"Then you're going to get us all killed" Sirius pushed his chair back "you talk to him Evans, knock some bleeding sense into him. I going for a walk"

"James you're my friend, my brother but Pads is right, there is nothing wrong to exercise a little caution until we find out what is going on"

"They're our friends" James yelled on his feet now "our friends, if we can't trust our friends then we have no one. Want me to kick Lily out an' all after all she could be a spy"

Remus maintained eye contact but continued eating his spaghetti bolognaise "sit down and stop been a prat Prongs. No is suggesting that there really is a spy but all the evidence is pointing to it. We just need to be cautious until we find out more"

* * *

The flat was full of people in the kitchen the table was pushed against the wall along with some of the chairs a few people were sat on it nursing drinks and passing around a glass ashtray. Lily was circling the party in a blue velvet mini dress holding a tray of food like a cocktail waitress stopping at each group to offer them the food and chat to them

"cracking party Lily" Alice yelled at her over the music her short pixie hair had been styled spiky and punky and she was in tight dark jeans and a black t-shirt held together at the sides with large safety pins. She passed Lily her cigarette for a drag and pulled a vol-au-vent off the tray

"Glad you're having a good time" Lily yelled back "everything sorted for next week?"

"Yeah I can't believe this time next week I'll be Mrs Longbottom" she laughed "you and James will be next" she laughed again at Lily's face

"I don't think so, I'm 18 why the hell would we get married"

"There's a war on Lil" Alice suddenly became very serious "Time waits for no man. These days we have to cram everything, our whole lives into a day as who knows what tomorrow will bring"

Lily took another drag on her cigarette before handing it back to Alice "I better go and save Olivia it looks like Benji's chewing her ear off again".

Half an hour later someone cracked the music up and Lily found herself stood on the kitchen table dancing with James behind her grinding against her while all their friends look on dancing below on the kitchen floor wooping and cheering

"Quick it's McGonagall" Sirius shouted from the doorway. The music got turned down people jumped into action hiding bottles stubbing out cigarettes before realising that this was their flat and Sirius was a windup artist. Before too long the drinks and fags were back out and Lily and James were joined on the table by Marlene and Sirius.

When Lily looked back she had some of the best times of her life in that little overcrowded flat in the middle of London with all the protection spells and silencing charms on it, it was one of the safest places in Muggle London.

* * *

"...My so called mother" he spat on the table to rid his mouth of the thought of her

"At least you having a fucking mother Black" mine died in a car crash at the end of seventh year and James lost both of his parents to dragon pox over Christmas and his home when Deatheaters burnt it to the ground"

"Well I wish that old bitch was dead. If it wasn't for uncle Alfie I'd be homeless and penniless"

"Don't be thick Black, you'd still be here living with us making innuendos and stealing our food" Lily replied kindly hugging him and kissing his cheek. "Nothing's going to change."

* * *

The morning after another party and Lily picked her way through the sea of bodies to get to the kettle. She lit the grill and filled the kettle and put it on the hob. She put the bacon and sausage under the grill and turned around to set the table but laughed out loud when newlyweds Frank and Alice were asleep on it under a pile of cloaks. They stirred at the sound of her laugh and the spit of the bacon "tea?" Lily laughed

"Ugh what we're we drinking last night" Frank rubbed his temple with his thumb and forefinger"

"Dunno Sirius' special concoction this one he was calling 'Snuffles.'"

Alice laughed and helped herself to a bacon sandwich which Lily had just made. As more people woke and headed to the kitchen for a cup of Lily's strong tea and a bacon and sausage sandwich and owl knocked on the window which the person closest to opened and passed the letter to James who was leaning against the counter cuppa tea in hand and his spare around Lily's waist he put down his tea opened the letter, scanned it, the smile dropped from his face. "More Muggle attacks last night and Caradoc Dearborn and Edgar Bones are both in St Mungo's. Clear out you lot things to do. There is a war on y'know"

* * *

"Quick, Moony clear the table" James burst into the flat carrying a semi-conscious Lily followed by Sirius "Lily love stay with me your gonna be OK, let's get these jeans off you" James laid Lily on the kitchen table trying desperately to ignore her shouts of pain and dragged off her jeans taking half her skin off as well in the process. The Marauders gathered around trying to heal their 5th member while she called out in pain.

"What the fuck happened?" asked Peter as he took her hand and started removing her jewellery from the blistering skin.

"Deatheaters" Sirius explained "loads of them, she was great through. Kept going after one, hard to tell with them masks on I shit you not I thought she was gonna kill him through sheer language" here he allowed himself a chuckle whilst helping James apply lotion to her legs "then You-Know-Dicksplat shows up and tried to recruit all three of us. Man I thought I'd heard all the ways someone could be told no after 3 years of listening to James pine for her. And she called him a filthy half breed and made references to the giant squid again. Anyway Lord Fuckface doesn't like been called a half breed or squids it turns out so he set her on fire. Oh yeah and we learnt his name is a taboo now so now we have to change the cat's name. So bloody inconvenient"

James smirked his way through Sirius' story as he worked on his girlfriend's burnt blistering body. When he was nearly done Remus put the kettle on and got one of their mystery t-shirts they'd had so long no one could remember who it had originally belonged to. It was too long for Remus the tallest, too baggy for Sirius the broadest, too wide for Peter the plumpest and the sleeves were even too long for James' lanky frame. For Lily it was perfect James dressed her in the t-shirt and took her to bed with a cup of draught of the living dead which she kept in the cupboard. James woke her up to drink the potion tucked her in and went to see to himself and Padfoot's minor injuries and get a cup of tea.

* * *

"Close your eyes darling" Sirius shut his eyes and held his hand out to James

"Padfoot" James sighed "I was talking to Lily"

"Here's four gallons boys fuck off down to the pub for a couple of hours" Lily handed Remus a handful of coins

"Y'know before seventh year he used to call me darling" Sirius mock whispered to Remus who was pushing him towards the door

"Yeah, yeah everyone knows, and I'm the one they call gay" Remus joked as he handed Sirius his cloak and they headed out of the door to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Close your eyes darling" James repeated now they were alone. Lily closed her eyes and held out her hand James took it and lead her to the kitchen "ta daa. Open them" on the table a beautiful dinner was laid with candles and a vase of flowers in the middle. Lilies, roses and carnations all in shades of red and orange.

"James this is amazing" they sat and ate the delicious meal that James had actually cooked with great difficulty. James opened a bottle of wine it was a good one that he'd managed to salvage from his parents' house after Deatheaters burnt it to the ground for them being blood traitors.

After they had finished he put on a record. The first one he and Lily had danced to after the first quidditch match of seventh year. He turned back to her and dug around in his pocket before sinking to his knee "I'm not gonna bother with a long speech. Just marry me" Lily leapt into his arms kissing him all over the face "I need a verbal answer here Lil" he laughed

"Of course I'll marry you, you fool" he laughed and kissed her temple. He took her left hand off his neck and placed the gold and emerald ring on her finger.

Lily looked at her newly adorned hand "it's beautiful James. But it must have cost you a bleeding fortune"

"It didn't cost me a knut. It was my mum's, mums. I asked her if I could have it before she died. She loved you. She'd have love to have you as a daughter"

Tears were falling down Lily's face "James its perfect" and she was showering him with kisses again. He stood up still holding her close with one arm whilst the other swept everything off the table sending plates candle sticks and the vase of flowers crashing to the floor "I'll clean up later" he murmured against her mouth helping her perch on the edge of it. She could only respond in a nod as she grabbed a handful of his shirt and dragged him up after her, running her hands down his back as he flattened her to the wood with his body she grabbed the bottom of his shirt and dragged it up depositing it somewhere on the kitchen floor then peppering his neck chest and shoulders with little bitey kisses that drove him wild. He got rid of her own shirt and bra and sucked on her neck at the junction to her collar bone. No words were exchanged just promises of love and forever in every kiss every touch every gasp. James felt cool air on his backside and realised too late that lily must have got rid of his jeans and boxers the little minx. He tore off her skirt breaking the clasp - it could be fixed - and her knickers - they were beyond repair - and entered her. She felt like home; warm, inviting, sweet as sugar. She clung to his shoulders his strong broad shoulders. He could be Atlas and hold up the sky. He was Atlas he held up _her_ sky. There was no urgency with the money Lily had given the boys they could be gone for hours yet every kiss, every stoke, every touch full of meaning they moved together just them and the table. Outside of this cocoon there was nothing no war, no horror, no London, no earth even, just them the cool wood against Lily's back the warm strong man at her front marking her, his ring, his lips, his teeth, his love all made indelible marks on her very soul. Her fingertips running across his skin could be made of larva for the burns she gave James. He wished and silently prayed this would never end but he could already feel the fluttering tightness around him she wrapped her legs around his waist desperate to get closer to him. His arms shook against the table as he tried to hold his weight off her. Her breathing hitched as she came around him gripping his shoulders so tight he felt sure she was marking his bones. He came moments later and collapsed on her "fuck me you have made me the happiest man on the planet"

"Fuck me that was great sex" she giggled "we should do it on the table more often"

"Oh darling, we're home" the latch on the front door clicked.

* * *

"Test me" she thrust the book she had been reading on top of his paper he had been reading

"Excuse me"

"Test me. I have a week to my Healers exam and I need to be perfect. The pass mark is 95% but they might accept 90."

Peter put down his paper and started skimming the text for questions to ask her. He drew up a blank scrap of parchment to keep score for her and began to read.

"How many more?" Pete whined after what felt like an eternity

"How many have we done?"

"65 questions"

"Fine we can stop for now but I need you to test me again in a few days. What'd I get?"

Pete checked the parchment and stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth while he worked out the percentage "97" he said. "You'll be fine Evans you got this in the bag. This time next week you'll be a fully qualified Healer"

* * *

"Absolutely not. Over my fucking dead body" his fist hit the table so hard she half thought it was going to go through it.

"Good how do you want to go" she spat back at him "stabbed, hung, burnt alive or I could use an unforgivable curse on you"

"You're been fucking ridiculous"

"No Potter you are"

The front door clicked and Moony walked into the flat to screaming in the kitchen "what's going on in there?" He asked immediately wishing he hadn't asked Peter and Sirius were on the sofa playing cards.

"Lily was asked to go on an order mission by herself" Sirius barley looked up "well not alone, alone but without us. Dumbledore thinks we're an easy target because we always go together. She's been teamed up with Benji and Edgar Bones"

"James is taking it really well" Peter chimed in "he's so understanding and knows this is for the good of the Order and Benji and Edgar would never let anything happen to her"

Remus flopped down into the spare armchair as the fight raged on "call me naive but I don't remember them going at it this hard when they were shagging in every broom cupboard and empty classroom in school" Remus sighed

"You touch me again James Potter and I'll remove your fucking hands"

"Well fucking sorry for fucking caring about you, you cold hearted bitch"

"Say that to my fucking face"

"Lily get your fucking wand off my fucking throat"

"Pub lads" Remus started to put his shoes back on

"Are you kidding this is the best entertainment we've had in months" Sirius was gleeful "also I have a bet on with Peter as to how much she'll hex him and what body parts he'll be taking in a paper bag to St Mungo's".

There was a massive crash and a bang "That's the table" Peter played another card "she really is scary when she's angry" Remus remarked mildly

"Aw shit that was my nose"

"I don't need you to like it I just need you to support me. You go off with the boys all the time leaving me at home. What's the pissing difference?"

"That's why we have prongs - to give her bad news"

"You're a woman" The three boys exchanged glances that's was not the best thing to say to an enraged Lily

"Am I too late to get in on that bet?" Remus took his shoes back off

They heard Lily mumble something and then silence.

Lily came back out of the kitchen with an empty pickle jar. "I might have lost my temper a bit" she apologised

Sirius laughed "where's Prongs?"

Lily flushed bright scarlet and handed him the pickle jar. Inside was a worm "sorry I told you I lost my temper I didn't mean it, but he wasn't listening so I punched him and he still wasn't listening so I made him shut up" she was biting her lip to suppress a smile.

"Worms don't have ears Lil next time try and turn him into a bat" the Marauders cracked up and followed Sirius into the kitchen to turn their friend back into a human again.

They came to a halt at the kitchen door. The table was turned over there was a knife in the wall and the kettle had a Potter shaped dent in it. "I may have lost my cool" she apologised again and began tidying up while the boys turned their friend back.

* * *

"Lily hold fucking still or I swear I will stab you with a pin and it won't be an accident" Lily was stood on the table draped in material whilst the girls and women around her helped pin and tuck the ivory silk

"What do you think?" Lily grinned turning around on top of the table when they had finished

"Oh you look gorgeous just like a real princess" Sarah Bones sighed

"Finishing touches" cried Marlene pulling a large flat box and a smaller cube shaped box from her handbag. She stuck a few pins in lily's hair "it'll be neater on the day this is just for an idea" and the pinned a long hip length lace veil to her friend's head and topped it off with a delicate crown made of silver and gold flowers and ivy.

Esther Dearborn started tearing up as she whipped the bedsheet off a full length mirror so Lily could take a proper look at herself "oh I look quite pretty actually" she gasped

"Fucking gorgeous" Alice agreed opening a bottle of champagne and dishing it out to all the women.

Marlene held out her hand for Lily to get off the table. "You don't think it's a bit much do you?"

"Not at all, I love the bow at the back" Esther smiled and took a sip of champagne "what are your girls wearing?" Alice took down one of the dress bags hanging on the curtain rail inside was a cream and pale green empress waisted dress with a big bow similar to lily's at the back.

"James is gonna have a seizure when he sees you" Marlene gave her friend a kiss on the cheek her pink lipstick blending into Lily's blush."

What will James have a sizure about?" Came a voice from the other room

"James Potter don't even think about touching that door" Alice yelled back. "This is woman's business get out, all of you"

"Can I come in, I'm starving?"

"Go get a sarnie from the cafe downstairs Pete. Go on scram the lot of you" while Alice was yelling at the boys through the door Esther, Sarah Bones, Doris Diggle and Marlene helped Lily get out of her crown veil and dress and began packing it all away while she slipped into her dressing gown her hair was still pinned to the top of her head when she stuck it round the door

"How long does it take you woman to try on a dress?" James huffed

"Well I can turn up in a sheet on Saturday if you like"

"Lily you can turn up in a bin liner for all I care and you'll still be the most beautiful woman in the room"

"Nice try Potter, see you later"

* * *

The kitchen window sprang open and a broom came flying through the window "duck" lily held on to her crown and veil and dipped her head as the racing broom came to an abrupt halt on the kitchen lino. James jumped off and held out his hand to help her off. She held the expanse of material so it didn't snag on the tail or the 'Just Married' sign and tinned cans someone - probably Sirius - had attached to the back of the broom. "Welcome home Mrs Potter" he lifted her up by the waist and spun her around the small kitchen.

"ooo I quiet like the sound of that" she grinned a lopsided grin at her new husband. They span and laughed in the kitchen for several minutes drunk not just on the many glasses of champagne from the reception but on life and each other and the very beautiful surprise reception their friends had planned for them because although their flat was good for the odd house party "you cannot have your reception in it".

James finally stopped spinning long enough to perch Lily on the edge of the table he dived under her many skirts and pulled off her garter all the while Lily giggled he tossed it in the air and caught it again "I win" he grinned at her Lily had enough games she grabbed him by his tie pulling him towards her lips

"Uh huh, don't forget it mister"

He slid a hand from the table top to her ankle and then up her long pale leg to her milky white thigh and further. He suddenly pulled back "Mrs Potter you don't appear to be wearing knickers" he gasped

"Oh damn" Lily slapped her hand to her face "I knew I forgot something this morning"

"You dirty bitch, you're telling me you've been walking around all day with no underwear on?"

Lily reached behind her and undid the top two buttons then pulled the bodice of the dress away from her looking down her top "oops looks like I forgot everything" she said in mock horror.

James let out a huge belly laugh and kissed her temple "that's my girl" he traced the kisses from her temple to her lips and pushed her back against the hard wood following her up all the while pushing her dress further and further up her thigh. "God I love you Mrs Potter. More than you will ever know"

* * *

BANG, BANG, BANG

Remus got up, with his wand out he answered the door. Four people stood their covered in crusty and fresh blood swollen joints James and Sirius was holding up Peter who looked like he'd broken his leg.

"What did I say to James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew at the Halloween Feast Fifth Year?" Remus had his eyes and wand pointed at the three boys

"Tonight's a good night for an adventure" Sirius replied

"What was the first thing I said to Remus John Lupin when I found out about his 'furry little problem'" James asked also pointing his wand at Remus' chest

"You fold your socks Remus, forgive me for not trembling in my boots" Remus suppressed a chuckle.

"What did I say to Lily Potter at 10:36 on the evening of her wedding" Remus' wand was now pointed at Lily

"10:36, two years to the day, hour and minuet you kissed him back."

Remus stood aside and followed them into the kitchen

"Voldycat, scoot" Lily pushed the fat orange cat off the table and Accio'd her home healing kit to begin patching up her boys "Voldytwat decided to join the party again" Lily began seeing to Peter's ankle while she spoke of where they'd come from.

"And Sirius had a family reunion" James chuckled

"And James nearly got us all killed, I mean who uses Anaticula against Deatheaters firing the killing curse at you" Sirius dug his best mate in the ribs ignoring James' wince

"It was your cousin trying to kill me, besides it was hysterical"

"Malfoy is not my cousin, he's my _cousin-in-law_. Yeah it was funny, nice one James" and the pair high fived.

"Didn't see where you went off to Pete" Lily finished patching him up. "Be careful" she helped him off the table top and into a chair, whilst Remus busied himself making tea "it'll take a few hours to heal properly, I'm not as quick as Poppy I'm afraid. Next"

"I was about" Peter replied as Sirius hopped on top of the table and Lily got to work on his sprained wrist and cracked ribs, while James held cotton wool to his friend's bleeding temple.

"Don't get scared now Wormtail, we can win this I can taste it, we're not far off. Just as long as Prongs learns a new bloody spell its quite distracting to fight with a load of ducks wandering 'round" Sirius said kindly

"Padfoot you're gonna have a right shiner on your eye, want me to remove it or do you want to keep it to show it off to the girls down the pub?" Lily giggled and took a sip of her tea.

"I'll keep it" Lily stood up and took the cotton wool off James and began repairing his head "y'know what fellas I've quite enjoyed having Lord Fucktard's name as a taboo it makes the days where there is no missions so much more interesting to come up with new ones, Ow Evans that really hurts"

"I know" Remus handed him his tea "but we wish you wouldn't distribute them as information pamphlets in the Leaky Cauldron, Tom is starting to get annoyed at cleaning them away when Deatheaters come in"

* * *

"Shit, Shit, Shit how long have you known" he began pacing the kitchen

"Couple of weeks" she sank into one of the hard wooden chairs "I tried to tell you but it's been so mad recently and then we had Edgar and Sarah's death and funeral and I just blocked it out of my mind"

"So how far on are you?" he stopped pacing just long enough to remove his glasses and rub his temple with his thumb and forefinger.

"I think nearly four months. I have an appointment at St Mungo's tomorrow they'll be able to tell me then" she cried. This was the best and worst news ever. The war was heating up everyone was vital to bringing it to an end and here she was with a baby in her belly. What could she do with a baby? Christmas had come and gone with almost no mention. It seems like Deatheaters didn't stop for Christmas. Everyday more deaths, she felt like she'd been to the funeral of everyone she'd ever loved, cared about and danced with Caradoc and Esther Dearborn had gone missing presumed dead. But this was James' baby a little him someone to fight for, someone for the future.

"We could err not have it" he sank down in the chair next to her not making eye contact rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "We could wait for peace again and try then. Get our own house and have our own family"

"We could not have it" she agreed. "The timing couldn't be worse and we know nothing about children"

"Do you want to not have it?" James stole a sideways glance at her

"I don't know, logically this is stupid, intellectually I know we need to get rid of it" she sighed "but it's a little you, I spent 4 years trying to get rid of you and I couldn't, I'm not sure I could get rid of any part of you."

"I couldn't get rid of any part of you either, let's just hope it's a lot more you then me." He pulled her into his lap and held on to her tightly like she was the only life raft in this expanding sea of war "Sirius is going to kill us, and Moony and Peter won't be too happy" he nuzzled her hair.

"Are you sure you're not just getting fat?" Sirius asked when they told him

"Another mouth to feed, another soul to protect" Remus whispered to Peter and passed him a handful of Sickles"

* * *

Hope you liked it.

Anaticula - Cause's the victim's wand to produce ducks no matter what spell is cast


End file.
